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| By January 1862, the family lived at //Shafston//((Andrew Darbyshire, A Fair Slice of St Lucia. Thomas Lodge Murray-Prior, St Lucia History Group research paper no. 8, p42; TLM-P diary entry January 1862; Kerry Heckenberg,'A taste for art in colonial Queensland: The Queensland Art Gallery Foundational Bequest of Thomas Lodge Murray-Prior', //Queensland Review//, 25:1, June 2018, pp.119-136 states it was on in George Street)) in the highly desirable downtown Brisbane suburb of [[wp>Kangaroo_Point,_Queensland|Kangaroo Point]].((For photos of //Shafston//, see //The Queenslander//, 25 September 1930, p.41.)) The house was previously called //Ravenscot// but renamed by its then owner Henry Russell in 1852. The house was later re-built so little or nothing of the original remains.((Andrew Darbyshire, A Fair Slice of St Lucia. Thomas Lodge Murray-Prior, St Lucia History Group research paper no. 8, p.108.)) \\ | By January 1862, the family lived at //Shafston//((Andrew Darbyshire, A Fair Slice of St Lucia. Thomas Lodge Murray-Prior, St Lucia History Group research paper no. 8, p42; TLM-P diary entry January 1862; Kerry Heckenberg,'A taste for art in colonial Queensland: The Queensland Art Gallery Foundational Bequest of Thomas Lodge Murray-Prior', //Queensland Review//, 25:1, June 2018, pp.119-136 states it was on in George Street)) in the highly desirable downtown Brisbane suburb of [[wp>Kangaroo_Point,_Queensland|Kangaroo Point]].((For photos of //Shafston//, see //The Queenslander//, 25 September 1930, p.41.)) The house was previously called //Ravenscot// but renamed by its then owner Henry Russell in 1852. The house was later re-built so little or nothing of the original remains.((Andrew Darbyshire, A Fair Slice of St Lucia. Thomas Lodge Murray-Prior, St Lucia History Group research paper no. 8, p.108.)) \\ |
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| It was understood that TLM-P lived in //Shafston// after he was appointed Postmaster-General in 1862, until the end of his first period in that office in 1866.((Allan Morrison, 'Some Queensland Postmasters-General", Brisbane, Post Office Historical Society, 1953, p.5, copy J. Godden)) In contrast, the heritage listing for the property states it was owned by grazier and sugar-grower Louis Hope from October 1859, and then rented out to Gilbert Eliot, Speaker of the Queensland Parliament and, from 1874-78, Matilda's brother-in-law William Barker of Telemon Station. There is no mention of a period of tenancy by TLM-P.(([[https://environment.ehp.qld.gov.au/heritage-register/detail/?id=600241|Shafston House]])) Two advertisements for September 1861 suggest that Matilda was staying there with her sister. 'Mrs Barker' advertised for two servants, requesting they apply to her at //Shafston//, Kangaroo Point. The very next ad was for an experienced nurse, presumably to look after baby Hugh. Applicants were also asked to apply to //Shafston//, but to Mrs Murray Prior.((//The Courier//, 11 September 1861, p.3.)) F. Lord in his series on Brisbane's historic houses, notes that in around the early 1900s, //Shafston// became the property of J McConnell of //Cessbrook//.((//The Queenslander//, 25 September 1930, p.7, the same family that Thomas de M M-P's daughter Phyllis M-P married into, and the property where she lived; RLM-P also had business dealings with //Cessbrook//.))\\ | TLM-P lived in //Shafston// after he was appointed Postmaster-General in 1862, until the end of his first period in that office in 1866.((Allan Morrison, 'Some Queensland Postmasters-General", Brisbane, Post Office Historical Society, 1953, p.5, copy J. Godden)) The heritage listing for the property states it was owned by grazier and sugar-grower Louis Hope from October 1859, and then rented to Gilbert Eliot, Speaker of the Queensland Parliament and, from 1874-78, Matilda's brother-in-law William Barker of Telemon Station. There is no mention of a period of tenancy by TLM-P.(([[https://environment.ehp.qld.gov.au/heritage-register/detail/?id=600241|Shafston House]])) Two advertisements for September 1861 suggest that Matilda was staying there with her sister. 'Mrs Barker' advertised for two servants, requesting they apply to her at //Shafston//, Kangaroo Point. The very next ad was for an experienced nurse, presumably to look after baby Hugh. Applicants were asked to apply to Mrs Murray Prior at //Shafston//.((//The Courier//, 11 September 1861, p.3.)) Around the early 1900s, //Shafston// was owned by Mary (Madge) McConnel, the wife of J.H. McConnel, the family that Thomas de M M-P's daughter Phyllis married into.((F. Lord,//The Queenslander//, 25 September 1930, p.7; [[https://cressbrookstation.com.au/the-mcconnel-family-cressbrook-today]]/))\\ |
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| === 1 Hodgson's Terrace === | === 1 Hodgson's Terrace === |
| Possibly it needed repairs before the family moved in as TLM-P paid £6.8.6 in April 1866 for 'Carpenters repairs Kangaroo Point' and also Mr James Lang for '40 pieces papering', presumably putting up wall paper. In November 1867, TLM-P insured the house for £700 and the kitchen (normally separate due to the fire risk) for £100.((MLMSS31217/Box 9))\\ | Possibly it needed repairs before the family moved in as TLM-P paid £6.8.6 in April 1866 for 'Carpenters repairs Kangaroo Point' and also Mr James Lang for '40 pieces papering', presumably putting up wall paper. In November 1867, TLM-P insured the house for £700 and the kitchen (normally separate due to the fire risk) for £100.((MLMSS31217/Box 9))\\ |
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| //Montpelier// was a stone house with its main rooms fronting directly on a wide verandah. It saw significant family events: Matilda died there in 1868; Rosa married there in 1872; and Nora's first child Meta was born there.((Andrew Darbyshire, A Fair Slice of St Lucia. Thomas Lodge Murray-Prior, St Lucia History Group research paper no. 8, pp.111-13.)) The house was convenient as it was closer to the ferry; as there was no bridge at the time, TLM-P used the ferry to get to work in Brisbane. The family lived there when parliament was sitting;((Patricia Clarke, //Rosa! Rosa!// p.23.)) at [[Maroon and Rathdowney|Maroon]] at other times. In October 1867 one of the cheques was for Henry Mohr 'wages. Montpelier' £1.14.0.((MLMSS31217/Box 9))\\ | //Montpelier// was a stone house with its main rooms fronting directly on a wide verandah. It saw significant family events: Matilda died there in 1868; Rosa married there in 1872; and Nora's first child Meta was born there.((Andrew Darbyshire, A Fair Slice of St Lucia. Thomas Lodge Murray-Prior, St Lucia History Group research paper no. 8, pp.111-13.)) The house was convenient as it was closer to the ferry; as there was no bridge at the time, TLM-P used the ferry to get to work in Brisbane. The family lived there when parliament was sitting;((Patricia Clarke, //Rosa! Rosa!// p.23.)) at [[Maroon and Rathdowney|Maroon]] at other times. In October 1867 one of the cheques was for Henry Mohr 'wages. Montpelier' £1.14.0. From the cheques involving Miss Arabin in February 1868, she appears to be the housekeeper at Montpelier. Catherine Hunt was employed as a cook then too, probably also at Monteplier.((MLMSS31217/Box 9))\\ |
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| {{:montpelier_ferry_st.jpeg?300|}} An undated photo of //Montpelier//.((Photo provenance Tom A. & M. Therese M-P. For more photos of //Montpelier//, see //The Queenslander//, 18 September 1930, p.41.))\\ | {{:montpelier_ferry_st.jpeg?300|}} An undated photo of //Montpelier//.((Photo provenance Tom A. & M. Therese M-P. For more photos of //Montpelier//, see //The Queenslander//, 18 September 1930, p.41.))\\ |
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| === Whytecliffe === | === Whytecliffe === |
| TLM-P died on New Year's Eve in 1892 at //Whytecliffe// (note that later sources spell it Whitecliffe), his home in [[wiki>Albion,_Queensland|Albion]], a suburb of Brisbane. It was an imposing house with 22 rooms including a kitchen wing, marble fireplaces, a cedar staircase and skylight illuminating the entrance hall.((Andrew Darbyshire, A Fair Slice of St Lucia. Thomas Lodge Murray-Prior, St Lucia History Group research paper no. 8, p.116.)) TLM-P's will stipulated that his wife had the right to remain there if she wished - presumably taking over the lease as it appears to have been rented by them. Given its size and that, as a new widow she was hardly likely to do large-scale entertaining, it is not surprising that she choose not to remain there. //Whytecliffe// was built c.1875 and is now a retirement village on Sandgate Road.((Whytecliffe House brochure, courtesy T.A. & M.T. M-P. Note that //Highlands//, the home of the Lightollers (Thomas B. M-P's parents-in-law), also became part of the retirement village, pers. comm. M.T. M-P.))\\ | TLM-P died on New Year's Eve in 1892 at //Whytecliffe// (note that later sources spell it Whitecliffe), his home in [[wiki>Albion,_Queensland|Albion]], a suburb of Brisbane. It was an imposing house with 22 rooms including a kitchen wing, marble fireplaces, a cedar staircase and skylight illuminating the entrance hall.((Andrew Darbyshire, A Fair Slice of St Lucia. Thomas Lodge Murray-Prior, St Lucia History Group research paper no. 8, p.116.)) An inventory made just after TLM-P's death listed the contents of 7 family bedrooms and 3 servant bedrooms as well as a coachhouse.((TLM-P papers, MLMSSS 3117, box 10)) TLM-P's will stipulated that his wife had the right to remain there if she wished - presumably taking over the lease as it appears to have been rented by them. Given its size and that, as a new widow she was hardly likely to do large-scale entertaining, it is not surprising that she choose not to remain there. //Whytecliffe// was built c.1875 and is now a retirement village on Sandgate Road.((Whytecliffe House brochure, courtesy T.A. & M.T. M-P. Note that //Highlands//, the home of the Lightollers (Thomas B. M-P's parents-in-law), also became part of the retirement village, pers. comm. M.T. M-P.))\\ |
| {{:marsh_p3_whitecliffe.jpeg?300|}} //Whytecliffe// in 1930, from QJO.((For more photos of //Whytecliffe// in 1930, see //The Queenslander// 11 September 1930, p.41.)) | {{:marsh_p3_whitecliffe.jpeg?300|}} //Whytecliffe// in 1930, from QJO.((For more photos of //Whytecliffe// in 1930, see //The Queenslander// 11 September 1930, p.41.)) |
| For a map of the locality, see Andrew Darbyshire, A Fair Slice of St Lucia. Thomas Lodge Murray-Prior, St Lucia History Group research paper no. 8, p.17.\\ | For a map of the locality, see Andrew Darbyshire, A Fair Slice of St Lucia. Thomas Lodge Murray-Prior, St Lucia History Group research paper no. 8, p.17.\\ |